The General Authority for Civil Aviation will demand a minimum of a SR600,000 bank guarantee to ensure the return of pilgrims to their home countries from Haj.

Air carriers flying pilgrims should deposit the funds in banks every Haj season.

After deducting any incurred fine on violations committed, the remaining amount will be returned to the company at the end of Haj season, a GACA statement said.

The technical controls included submitting a bank guarantee to the authority at a local Saudi bank in the name of the airliner or its agent, equivalent to the number of pilgrims to be transported, and according to the prevailing prices of a one-way ticket from Jeddah to the country of origin.

GACA put the minimum cap for the guarantee at SR600,000, of which the authority has the power to deduct the costs of returning pilgrims who the carrier left behind.

GACA has the right to fix the value of the bank guarantee on the basis of the market prices of the tickets, which other operating carriers with good reputation in the field paid at the time, according to GACA. The guarantee should be valid for six months starting from the actual date of flights for the current Haj season.